Hosting a Tor .onion Site on a CentOS 8 Server (Nginx + Tor)

Introduction:
A Tor .onion site, often referred to as the “dark web,” provides anonymity and privacy to both website operators and users. Hosting one on a CentOS 8 server using Nginx and Tor can be a complex but rewarding endeavor. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the steps to set up a Tor .onion site on your CentOS 8 server, allowing you to offer your content securely and anonymously.

Prerequisites:
Before you begin, make sure you have the following:

1. A CentOS 8 server with root or sudo access.
2. Nginx installed and configured to serve your website.
3. Basic knowledge of Linux commands and server administration.

Step 1: Install and Configure Nginx:
If you haven’t already set up Nginx, you can install it using the following commands:

sudo yum install epel-release
sudo yum install nginx

Once installed, configure Nginx to serve your website content by creating an Nginx server block. You can use the default configuration or create a custom one based on your needs.

Step 2: Install and Configure Tor:
Install Tor on your CentOS 8 server with the following commands:

sudo yum install tor

After the installation, open the Tor configuration file:

sudo nano /etc/tor/torrc

Add or modify the following lines in the configuration file:

HiddenServiceDir /var/lib/tor/your_onion_site/
HiddenServicePort 80 127.0.0.1:80

Replace /var/lib/tor/your_onion_site/ with your preferred directory for Tor’s data files.

Step 3: Configure Nginx for Tor:
Next, configure Nginx to work with Tor. Create a new server block configuration file:

sudo nano /etc/nginx/conf.d/your_site_tor.conf

Inside this file, add the following configuration:

server {
    listen 127.0.0.1:80;
    server_name your_onion_domain.onion;

    root /usr/share/nginx/html;
    index index.html;

    location / {
        try_files $uri $uri/ =404;
    }
}

Make sure to replace your_onion_domain.onion with your desired .onion domain.

Step 4: Start Tor and Nginx:
Start the Tor service and enable it to start on boot:

sudo systemctl start tor
sudo systemctl enable tor

Then, restart Nginx to apply the changes:

sudo systemctl restart nginx

Step 5: Access Your Tor .onion Site:
Once everything is set up, you can access your Tor .onion site by checking the hostname generated by Tor. Run the following command to get your .onion domain:

sudo cat /var/lib/tor/your_onion_site/hostname

This command will display your .onion domain, something like “your_onion_domain.onion.”

Step 6: Secure Your .onion Site:
To enhance security, consider implementing HTTPS using a free certificate provider like Let’s Encrypt.

Conclusion:
You’ve successfully set up a Tor .onion site on your CentOS 8 server using Nginx and Tor. This allows you to offer your content with enhanced privacy and anonymity. Remember to keep your site secure and up-to-date to maintain the integrity of your .onion presence on the Tor network.